Headsets are commonly used to interface with electronic devices. There are two kinds of headsets, namely, wired and wireless. Wired headsets are affordable, small and light. Wireless headsets are typically more costly and larger because a separate battery and additional electronics are employed. Generally, the wireless headset is communicatively coupled to a wireless device such as wireless telephone or mobile phone.
There are a variety of different wireless headsets and currently the headsets generally rely on Bluetooth technology, which is a wireless Personal Area Network technology. A Personal Area Network (PAN) is a computer network that includes telephones, personal computers, headsets, and personal digital assistants that are in relatively close proximity to one another. The devices may or may not belong to the person in question. The reach of a PAN is typically around ten meters. A PAN may be used for communication between personal electronic devices or for connecting to a higher level network such as the Internet. Personal area networks may be wired with computer buses such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) and FireWire. A wireless personal area network (WPAN) can also be made possible with network standards such as Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), and Bluetooth.
One reason for using wireless headsets rather than wired headsets include not being tied to the wireless device, e.g. mobile phone, so the wireless headset can be used for driving. Recent hands-free legislation further promotes the transition from tangle-prone wired headsets to wireless headset. Wireless headsets are commonly referred to as “Bluetooth headsets” and offer a convenient and user friendly wireless connection between the headset and a Bluetooth-enabled wireless device. Additionally, a Bluetooth headset can also be used to connect with other devices such as a computer, so a Bluetooth headset could be used for teleconferencing with a PC and also with a mobile phone. Thus, one headset can be used with a variety of different Bluetooth enabled devices.
However, there are a variety of problems associated with wireless headsets. One such problem is that wireless headsets are powered by a separate battery and are generally turned on and off to preserve power; so the wireless headset is inconvenient to charge and can not be used during the charging process. Additionally, the typical wireless headset consists of a headphone and microphone, so that the headset is only used during voice communications.